Michael Paynter

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MICHAEL PAYNTER
“The songs were written to be played in stadiums,” declares multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter Michael Paynter about his new album This Welcome Diversion .
They have big hooks. They are inspiring and powerful yet moving. “If there’s a thread through my songs, it’s my positive spin on life. It’s a wonderful experience and you need to have fun even while you’re facing up to its challenges to get the best out of it. But if I can get people to pause after each track to think about what I’m singing, then I’ve done my job.”
Michael Paynter is passionate about his music and about life. A gifted musician with classic rock star looks, he displays a flair and style about everything he puts his mind to. Nurtured by a loving and close family, he had by the age of six learned to play the piano, before focussing his energies in his mid-teens on mastering the guitar, bass, drums and keyboards.
“Music was always something I was going to do, because it fires up my soul like nothing else,” he admits. “I studied law for a year but returned to music.”
At 22, the Melbourne-based performer has made a stunning debut album. This Welcome Diversion is filled with radio-friendly guitar-driven songs and risk-taking performances, tempered with the occasional tender moment. It was recorded with U.S. producer Matt Wallace (Faith No More, Maroon 5, Bic Runga, John Hiatt) at Sound City Studios where Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Johnny Cash and Tom Petty cut their classic records.
“The experience of making this record took me to a whole new level. Matt was very encouraging, and working with someone of that calibre in a studio with that kind of history just brought out the best in me.”
Michael played nearly every instrument on the record, and was the sole musician on half the tracks. This Welcome Diversion also features cameo performances from Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Vandals), Dorian Crozier (Jewel, Avril Lavigne), David Ryan Harris (John Mayer’s guitarist) and John Fields (Switchfoot). Like the best rock music, it sounds accidentally perfect. Michael wrote the vast majority of the music on the album, and many of the songs reflect Michael’s diverse music tastes with favourite acts including Bloc Party, The Police, Jeff Buckley, Razorlight, Kings Of Leon and The Cure.
So you can imagine his thrill when he wrote “Bring It Home” with The Cure’s Phil Thornalley AND played the bass guitar used on their 1982 album Pornography. Or why he immediately flew back from Los Angeles to London when Guy Chambers, the guru behind many Robbie Williams’ hits, wanted to write with him. These collaborations were part of a global four-month writing session during which Michael also worked with the likes of Wally Gagel (Muse), Phil Buckle (John Farnham) and Julian Hamilton of The Presets.
The first single taken from This Welcome Diversion is “Closer” , a soaring, hook-filled track about striving for better in life. Written in collaboration with Gary Clarke, who has written songs for James Blunt and Natalie Imbruglia, the track became an instant classic. “I fell in love with it instantly,” he says. “It works because the chords and rhythms are so simple. It’s how people are, in their heads, never where they want to be whether it’s a relationship or in a career. They’re always wanting to be closer to the ideal.”
This song, like many others on the album, belies Michael’s strong sense that life should follow the baroque script of dreams, a sentiment that he communicates in depth to his listeners. With this in mind, Michael sounds exactly how you’d expect: intelligent, deep and caring.
“Superhero”, (which was used in demo form as the theme for the Seven Network’s show “Heroes”) exhorts the listener to stop complaining about life, but to find strength in the positives in life. “A Victim Song” repeats that message, while live favourites “To Life Tonight”,” Go”, and “Soul” step out of pages of Michael’s diary, as he reminds himself in a moving way to retain his passion and live out his destiny.
One of the highwater marks of the album is the seven minute epic “Under The Silence” where Michael flexes his muscle as a writer, player and arranger, playing all the instruments on the track. A slow and pretty song, he envisaged from the start that it would be slow, with strings and with “a killer guitar solo”. “The vocals were done at 4 am, which is why they sound so world-weary. But it fits in with the lyrics, which are about shy, quiet people who find it hard to express themselves. They’re seldom noticed as a result. But they have so much potential under the silence, once you go past the shy smile and look into their eyes.”
This Welcome Diversion is an album that both kicks with energy and soothes the soul. And nowhere is this more evident than in a live setting. Having played in touring bands since the age of 16, Michael is no stranger to stages across the country, and it’s in this medium that he really thrives. “ When you hit your straps up there, it’s like spreading your wings and gliding.”
Look out for Michael Paynter, this will be his year.
APRIL 2008.
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